Baker’s Log – A Quick Look: Journey to the Seventh Planet (1962)

JOURNEY TO THE SEVENTH PLANET details, as the title might suggest, an expedition to the planet Uranus. Upon landing on the world of barren ice and snow, the crew suddenly discover themselves to be in a pristine woodland! What’s more, fond memories begin taking shape as familiar locations, houses, and even people begin appearing! But, behind this paradise is a horrifying secret.

One of Sid Pink’s co-productions with Denmark, the film features much of the cast and crew of REPTILICUS. This time, however, they’re all firing in right order. This one is a delightful and perfect pulp space opera science fiction, starring John Agar and bombshell Gretta Thyssen (apparently as herself, despite this taking place some years in the future). Perhaps due to the international nature of the film’s production, and/or the fact that this was made before the organization became such a scandalous farce, the space flight is a UN operation (though an operation firmly American in much of it’s attitudes).

The film underwent much editing before reaching it’s final form, with major scenes shot and then removed (and reportedly destroyed). The original version featured some full-size monster props which AIP deemed too goofy-looking, so the final form of the film replaced much of this footage with some stop-motion creatures courtesy of Jim Danforth. Although it isn’t perfect, the film still delivers. It’s everything FIRE MAIDENS OF OUTER SPACE should have been, and even sports some beautiful postcard color to boot! Considered a sequel of sorts to THE ANGRY RED PLANET, though the connection is only behind the camera. By the way, this may be the only film in which Uranus is correctly pronounced. The enunciation actually sounds like “you’re on us,” which admittedly isn’t much better than the more popular version.

Rene Bond was one of the big names in porn during the 70’s. She began her career in the late 60s in softcore exploitation films and made the move to hardcore in the early 70s, appearing in around 80 films by the time she retired.